1. Field Of The Invention
The invention herein pertains to an object identification and counter and particularly to a vehicle counter which can be used at a racetrack or other location for counting laps as the vehicles reach a particular position on the track.
2. Description Of The Prior Art And Objectives Of The Invention
Various forms of mechanical, electrical, electro-mechanical and electronic object counters such as lap counters have been devised in the past for toy and full size vehicle racers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,869 demonstrates and electronic scoring system for vehicles in a plural lap race including a telemetry transmitter on each vehicle which generates distinctive signals to identify a particular vehicle and the lap completed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,572,711 demonstrates a timer and lap counter which includes a switch which produces electrical impulse upon passage of the racer. The electrical impulses operate a timer and a visual display demonstrates the number of laps traveled by the particular vehicle.
The prior art devices which have been used are inaccurate in that the counters may be advanced through erroneous signals which are inadvertently transmitted or such signals may be credited to the wrong vehicle. Also, the frequencies transmitted by the individual cars may not be distinct enough for the receiver to differentiate and thus produce an erroneous count.
Thus, with the problems and disadvantages associated with prior art counters, the present invention was conceived and one of its objectives is to provide a combination object counter which provides a microwave generator which is adjusted to a narrow beam width for activating each transceiver as it reaches the beam position across a fixed location.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a transceiver which includes an FM transmitter which is activated by the microwave beam and which in turn will generate an omnidirectional FM radio signal which has been superimposed with a specific audio tone.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a combination object counter which includes a remote FM signal and tone receiver having a plurality of receiving circuits which accurately distinguish the FM frequencies received and which includes a computer activated by the FM frequency received.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a secondary portable FM signal receiver and counter which is specific to the particular object.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide an object counter such as a vehicle lap counter which includes a "one-shot" or holding circuitry in the transceiver and in the receiver which improves the accuracy of the count and which will prevent reflected signals or the like from causing a multiple count from the same signal.